Take the Mehserle jury questionnaire

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When 200 potential jurors report for duty Wednesday in the Los Angeles trial of former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle — who is accused of murdering unarmed train rider Oscar Grant in Oakland — the first job will be paperwork.

Each must fill out a 14-page questionnaire that jump-starts the process of pruning the panel to 12 men and women and a few alternates. That process will continue next Tuesday when attorneys get a chance to question potential jurors in court. Opening statements are scheduled for two days later.

The form asks about basics such as job status and education; practical questions about whether jurors already know about the case; legal questions about a defendant’s constitutional rights; and questions regarding experience — whether jurors are familiar with guns and Tasers and whether they have ever been arrested or victimized in a crime.

There are also questions about political, religious and social activity. Affiliation with such groups as the National Rifle Association, the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP must be noted. So must a connection, familial or otherwise, to someone in law enforcement, or to any potential witness in the case.

Here are some of the more interesting questions:

— Have you ever written a letter to the editor?

— List any subject matter or genre in reading materials, television programs or movies that you try to avoid.

— Do you consider yourself an expert on any subject?

— Have you ever considered working in law enforcement?

— Have you, friends or relatives ever had a gun pointed at you or them, or been frightened by a gun?

— Have you ever visited someone in a jail, prison or juvenile detention facility, or have you ever been incarcerated?

— Have you or anyone close to you ever had a bad experience with a police officer?

— What should be done to reduce crime?

— Do police officers lie? If yes, how often?

— Do you understand the charges are not evidence?

— Could you fire a gun in self-defense?

— Should police officers be treated differently than civilians if they break the law?

— Will the fact that a white police officer shot and killed a black man make it difficult for you to be a fair and impartial juror in this case?

— Do you have an opinion as to whether racial discrimination is a problem in Oakland?

— If you are selected as a juror in this case, do you anticipate any negative reactions by friends or family if you find the defendant guilty? If you find the defendant not guilty?